Footy club to appeal bans

Police rush onto the field during the brawl at last year's under-17 grand final at Alice Springs.

Justin Brierty: The Centralian Advocate

A remote Northern Territory football club will lodge an appeal with the AFL today after a decision to ban more than 30 people from games for a combined total of 150 years.

The punishment applies to 22 players, match day officials and coaches from Hermannsburg, as well as a number of spectators, for their part in a riot.

The violence erupted during an under-17 grand final last year, which saw umpires assaulted after more than 100 people rushed onto the field.

Bill Shields is acting as an advocate for the Hermannsburg Football Club and says it will be a disaster for the community if there's no football.

"We've got about 1000 people down here and we have no schooling beyond 12 years of age. So literally you have young men between 12 and 18 who have absolutely nothing to do all day long except sit in a house and watch television," Mr Shields said.

"Football is the only outcome they have, it's something that gives the whole community a great sense of pride."

The club says it will not appeal a decision to ban about a dozen spectators.

Mr Shields, who is also the health services manager at the local aboriginal health corporation, says the community has learnt its lesson.

He says the entire community feels shame about the riot and Aboriginal elders fear what the ban's impact will have.

"We're not suggesting that what we did was right, it was absolutely horribly wrong."

"But it's just saying that the penalty now will literally take the heart out of this community. We will have no idea what to do.

"From a healthcare standpoint, and from my standpoint, unless we can energise them again and get them to feel a certain amount of pride."